DeepSeek in Healthcare: A Survey of Capabilities, Risks, and Clinical Applications of Open-Source Large Language Models

ABSTRACT DeepSeek - R1 is a cutting - edge open - source large language model (LLM) developed by DeepSeek, showcasing advanced reasoning capabilities through a hybrid architecture that integrates m ixture of e xperts (MoE), chain of thought (CoT) reasoning, and reinforcement learning. Released under the per missive MIT license, DeepSeek - R1 offers a transparent and cost - effective alternative to proprietary models like GPT - 4o and Claude - 3 Opus; i t excels in structured problem - solving domains such as mathematics, healthcare diagnostics, code generation, and phar maceutical research. Its architecture enables efficient inference while preserving reasoning depth, making it suitable for deployment in resource - constrained settings. However, DeepSeek - R1 also exhibits increased vulnerability to bias, misinformat ion, adversarial manipulation, and safety failures - especially in multilingual and ethically sensitive contexts. Th is survey highlights the model's strengths, including interpretability, scalability, and adaptability, alongside its limitations in general language fluency and safety alignment. Future research priorities include improving bias mitigation, natural language compreh ension, domain - specific validation, and regulatory compliance. Overall, DeepSeek - R1 represents a major advance in open, scalable AI, underscoring the need for collaborative governance to ensure responsible and equitable deployment. INTRODUCTION T he rise of AI and generative models in health and technology Artificial Intelligence (AI) has undergone transformative growth in recent years, profoundly reshaping numerous fields including language processing, automation, and complex decision - making. At its core, AI refers to the simulation of human intelligence by machines, enabling them to perform tasks such as speech recognition, natural lang uage understanding, visual perception, and predictive analytics. One of the recent remarkable advancements in the Generative AI domain is the emergence of DeepSeek - R1, a large language model (LLM) developed by the Chinese company DeepSeek. In benchmarking evaluations, it has demonstrated results competitive with, and in some domains superior to, models like OpenAI's GPT - 4o and GPT - o1 [4] . This has positioned DeepSeek - R1 as a notable advancement not only in LLM capability but also in the global AI development race. DeepSeek - R1: a paradigm shift in LLM development What sets DeepSeek - R1 apart from conventional LLMs is its novel training architecture. This hybrid approach mimics certain aspects of human learning, allowing the model to refine its behavior over time and adapt to mo re complex reasoning tasks.